Typewriter tabulator device



W. L. WHITE.

TY PEWRITER TABULATOR DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.27,1917- 1,345,467. P tented y 6, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

' w. L. WHITE.

TYPEWRITER TABULATOR DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 21,1917. I 1,345,467. Patented y 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. WHITE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITER TABULATOR DEVIGEJ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly'6, 1920.

Application filed January 27, 1917. Serial No. 145.025.

To all who 1n it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriter Tabulator Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved typewriter tabulator device and has for its object to provide means whereby the carriage may be caused to travel to any desired tabulator stop in advance of the carriage without being stopped by any intermediate stop.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the typewriter carriage when released will travel directly to any predetermined tabulator stop.

With the above and other objects in view,

which will later on be explained more fully,

I have invented the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved tabulating mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of a typewriter, partly broken away embracing T my invention,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a stop slide bar and tabulator stops,

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of a stop, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the following specification and in the several views in the drawings, in which 1 indicates a typewriter frame upon the rear uprights 2 of which is pivotally mounted a tabulator stop frame 3 by means of a slide bar 4, said frame having the ends 5 and 6 extend beyond the ends 7 and 8 to pivot in the members 2. Stops 9, 10, 11 and 12 or as many more as may be desired are slidably mounted on the slide rod 4, each of handles 20 are provided on each stop whereby the same may be manipulated. Connected with the bottom frame member 21 is a series of levers 22, 23, 24 and 25, one for each tabulator stop, the ends 26, 27, 28" and 29 of which are bent up in stepped relation, so that each succeeding finger 30, 31, 32 and 33 on the vertical arms 34, 35, 36 and 37 will have to travel a greater distance down before said fingers will engage and operate said levers, the operation being to tilt vthe frame on the bar 4, so that one of said stops 9 to 12, the bodies of each of which are of different thicknesses andproject inwardly in stepped relation,'will project into the path ofthe lug 38 on the typewriter carriage 39.

Eaph of the arms 34 to 37 is mounted upon key bars 40 to 43, which are pivoted on the bar 44 and which are held normally in horizontal position by means of springs 45. The key bars, having keys 45 to 48 (designated 1, 2, 3,and 4 on the keys) project to the keyboard (not shown) of the typewriter where they may readily be struck to operate the tabulator. All of said key bars 40 to 43 project through a yoke or universal bar 49 to which is fixed a carriagerelease bar 50 having a sound deadener 51 which seats upon the release lever 52 so that on the depression of any one of the keys 45 to 48, the release 52 will be operated to release the carriage '39 to travel on the frame 1 until stopped by one or another of the tabulator sto s 9 to 12.

n operation, each of the key bars travel, when struck by the operator, the same distance, therefore each of thetabulator operating arms 34 to 37 must travel equal distances when operated, however, as eachv succeeding upturned end of levers 22 to 25 are farther away from the fingers 30 to 33, the tilting movement of frame 3 varies according to which of the keys 45 to 48 are pressed. The stepped relation of stops 9 to 12 are such that the frame 3 must be tilted to its greatest extent to bring the smallest stop 9 into the path of lug 38, end 36 of lever 22 is longer and nearer its operating finger (30) than any of the other lever ends are relative to the operating fingers. The next stop 10 is larger and end 37 consequently shorter whereby frame 2 must travel a less distance. This relative size of the stops and operat g members is continued down the by means of this arrangement, the carriage 39 may be at once shifted to any desired stop without being intercepted by any intermediate stop, thus saving the typist considerable labor and time in tabulation work.

In Fig. 5, I show a cordification of the inventionin which the frame 3 is provided with integral or fixed straight horizontal lever arms 22, 23, 24 and 25 which project through slots 53 in the upper ends of the vertical arms 34 35 36 and 37 fixed to the key levers 40, 41, 42 and 43 whereupon the operation of the keys 45, 46, 47 and 48 operate the arms 34 35, 36 and 37* either one of which will tilt the member 3*. It will be noted that the slots 53 are graduated in length, the first one having its upper edge resting normally upon the arm 2%, the next one 53 extending normally slightly above arm 23, 53 extending still farther above arm 24 while slot 53 extends still farther above arm 25 whereby the operation of each key 45 to 48 will tilt the frame 3* to a different angular position.

I do not confine my invention to the exact construction shown in the accompanying drawings, but claim as my own any modifications that come within the purview of the following claims.

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage having a carriage stop, of a' series of column-stops for cooperating with the carriage stop, a frame comprising lugs on which said column-stops are settable, a pivot for said frame, a series of keys, and a series of arms for rocking said frame toward the carriage stop and adapted to be moved by said keys,

,said arms variously positioned relatively to said lugs to have a variable amount of lostmotion to variably rock said frame to variably arrest the carriage bythe stops.

2. Ina typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage hav'ingia carriage stop, of a series of column-stops extending various distances toward the car- 7 ,riage stop, a frame comprising lugs, on which said column-stops are settable, a pivot forsaid frame, a series'of keys, a series of arms set at varying distances from said lugs, a lever for each key, and an arm connecting each key lever to its first-named arm and adapted, by depression of a key, to first have anamount of, lost-motion depending on the varying position of the arm and lug,

and then to rock the frame a corresponding amount during the remainder of the key depression. r

3. In a typewriter machine','the combinafor sition of the arm and lug, and then to rock the frame a corresponding amount during the remainder of the key depression, a universal bar-adapted to be engaged and actuated by said key levers, and a carriagereleasing mechanism connected to be oper- V ated by said universal bar.

"4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a typewriter carriage, of tabulating mechanism, said mechanism comprising a series of stops, a tiltable stop-carrying frame, said stops being graduated in size and arranged in stepped relation, said frame having a series of projections thereon also arranged in stepped relation, and means cooperating with said projections for differentially rocking said frame.

.5. In combination with a typewriter having a carriage, a tabulating device embracing a series of stops, a tiltable stop carrying frame, said stops being graduated in size and arranged in stepped relation, levers on said frame whereby it is tilted and means for operating said levers whereby the frame be tilted at different angles, said means consisting of vertically movable rods having means for engaging said levers, said last means of each rod being spaced a different distance from its coacting lever.

6. In combination with a typewriter having a carriage, a tabulating device embracing aseries of stops, atiltable stop carryin g frame, said stops being graduated in size and arranged in stepped relation, levers on said frame whereby it is tilted, means for operating said levers whereby the frame may be tilted at different angles, said means consisting of vertically movable rods having means for engaging said levers, said last warns of each rod being spaced a different distance from its coacting lever'and mean operating said rods. 7

7. In combination with a typewriter having a carriage, a tabulating device embracing a series of stops, a tiltable stop'carrying frame, said stops being graduated in size and arranged in stepped relation, levers on said frame whereby it is tilted and means for operating said levers whereby the frame may be tilted at different angles, said means consisting of vertically movable rods having means for engagin said'levers, said last means of each rod being spaced a different distance from its coacting lever, means for operating said rods; and means for releasin g the carriage to be controlled by said device.

8. In combination with a typewriter having a carriage, a tabulating device embracing a series of stops, a tiltable stop carrying frame, said stops being graduated in size and arranged in stepped relation, levers on said frame whereby it is tilted, means for o pe 'ating said levers whereby the frame may be tilted at diii'erent angles, said means consisting of vertically movable rods having means for engaging said levers, said last means of each rod being spaced a different distance from its coacting lever, means for operating said rods and means for releasing the carriage to be controlled by said device, said device operating said releasing means.

9. In combination with a typewriter having a carriage, a tabulating device embracing a series of stops, a tiltable stop carrying frame, said stops being graduated in size and arranged in' stepped relation, levers on said frame whereby it is tilted, means for operating said levers whereby the frame may be tilted at different angles, said means consisting of vertically movable rods having means for engaging said levers, said last means of each rod being spaced a different distance from its coacting lever, means for operating said rods and means for releasing the carriage to-be controlled by said device, said device operating said releasing means simultaneously with the frame.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. WHITE. Witnesses:

D. J. DUFFEE, J. L. BEGAN. 

